Shuttle feeder for embroidering machines



Nov. 16, 1954 K MNDNER 2,694,374

SHUTTLE FEEDER FOR EMBROIDERING MACHINES Filed March 5, 1954 2 Sheet 2United States Patent SHUTTLE FEEDER FOR EMBROIDERING MACHINES Thisinvention relates to shuttle feeders for embroidering machines.

As is well understood, an embroidering machine comprises a large numberof aligned shuttle boxes which rest on a shuttle box bar. Each shuttlebox slidably supports a shuttle which is caused to reciprocatesubstantially vertically, during the operation of the machine. Eachshuttle contains a bobbin, the thread of which becomes exhausted. as theembroidering operations continue. Accordingly, it is necessary toreplace such bobbins periodically. of replacing the bobbin in theshuttle, a pre-loaded shuttle is substituted for'the exhausted one.

Shuttles are now replaced by lifting them out of the shuttle boxes andsubstituting a fully loaded shuttle. This is a time consuming andtedious operation since a conventional fifteen year machine has morethan 550 shuttle boxes. I am aware that some mechanisms have beenintroduced to effect feeding but such mechanisms have not beensuccessful because of inaccuracies and complexities and are not in wideusage.

With the foregoing in mind, I have devised a shuttle feeding devicewhich effectively feeds a large quantity of loaded shuttles to theshuttle boxes. The device is so constructed that the feed is positivewith little, if any likelihood of a shuttle being misdirected. Means areprovided to maintain a great number of shuttles aligned at an anglewhich insures the proper travel of the shuttle into the shuttle box. Thedevice is further simple in operation and economical to produce and use.

The invention will be further understood from the following descriptionand drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the improved shuttle feeder;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view thereof;

Figure 3 is an end ends being the same;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary bottom view of one end of the device;

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view further illustrating the operation ofthe device in feeding shuttles to the shuttle boxes of an embroideringmachine (the embroidering machine being viewed as from the rear);

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view similar to Figure 5 and illustrating theoperation of the device;

Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view as taken along the line 77 of Figure6; and

Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view as taken along the line 8-8 of Figure5.

The device comprises an elongated frame 10 which may be of wood or anyother suitable material. Frame 10 is formed with a plurality of openings11 extending therethrough from the top to the bottom thereof and runningthe length of the frame. Two such parallel rows or series of openings 12and 13 are provided in order to increase the capacity of the device.Each opening is inclined diagonally as illustrated in Figure 5. However,the inclination of the openings of row 12 is in an opposite directionfrom that of row 13 as will be hereinafter described. The angle ofinclination is approximately from vertical. The openings are somewhatsquare in transverse cross-section, the width thereof being slightlymore than /8". The length of the openings from top to bottom of theframe, is about 1".

In the form shown, each row contains 36 openings so as to accommodate 36shuttles. Thus, the combined capacity of the device is 72. Of course,the rows can In actual practice, instead elevational view thereof, bothfit .of each strip 17. As will 2,694,374 Patented Nov. 16, 1954 be madelonger or shorter as desired but the dimensions of the openings willremain substantially constant.

Referring to Figures 3 and 8 it will be noted that the frame 10 isT-shaped, the openings 11 being formed in the transverse arm orrectangular top section 14 of the T while the centrally depending arm 15is provided to support the device at the proper height when it ispositioned over aligned shuttle boxes for feeding shuttles therein. Eachrow or series of openings 11 have duplicate operating mechanisms so thatthe description of one of said mechanisms will also describe the other.

The underside of the transverse arm 14 is formed with a C-shaped slot16, within which is slidably disposed an elongated metal strip 17 whichserves to retain and release the shuttles from the openings of theframe. Strip 17 has the appearance of a ladder with sides 18 and aseries of cross bars 19. The cross bars are spaced to an extent whereinthey define openings between them of substantially the same dimensionsas the openings 11. As will be explained hereinafter, each strip 17 isnormally spring biased to a position where the bars 19 close eachopening 11 approximately half way across at the bottom so as to retainthe shuttles in place in the openings. Means are also provided to shiftthe bars to fully open position so that the shuttles may fallgravitationally through the openings and into the shuttle boxes of theembroidering machine.

Each end of the device is provided with a metal retaining bar 20 whichis of inverted T-shaped form, the central arm 21 serving as a terminalfor the coil spring 22. The other end 23 of the spring22 is hookedaround end section 24 of strip 17. Accordingly, strip 17 is normallyurged in one direction as illustrated in Figure 5 where the cross bars19 substantially close the lower ends of the openings 11 about half-wayor, in any event, to a degree that the shuttles 25 enclosing fullbobbins cannot fall through to the shuttle boxes 26. It will beunderstood that the shuttle boxes themselves are shown somewhatschematically, the illustration being merely to demonstrate the usage ofthe device.

Spring 22 is disposed within a concave cut-out 27 formed immediatelyabove end bar or section 24 of strip 17. In order to urge each strip 17to an unobstructing position, an actuating lever 28 is provided at eachend of the device, each serving the respective series of openings. 7 Asillustrated in Figure 6, lever 28 is pivoted on the pin 29 and has itslower end slidably maintained in slot 30 of end section 31 ofstrip 17.The end sections 24 and 31 are respective opposite ends be recognizedfrom Figure 5, when lever 28 is manually actuated in the directionindicated by arrow 29, the entire strip 17 is shifted to the left asviewed in Figure 5 and all the openings 11 become unobstructed at theirlower ends so that the shuttles may drop through to the shuttle boxes.

Means are further provided to insure accurate positioning of the rows ofopenings with respect to each shuttle box. Thus, a guide member 32having a depending tongue 33 is disposed between end section 31 and thefirst bar of strip 17 as illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, the tongue 33depending downwardly through the opening of the C-shaped slot asillustrated in Figure 3. Tongue 33 is inclined away from vertical at anangle of 15 so as to complement the fixed angularity of the shuttleboxes 26 as illustrated in Figure 5. Accordingly, when the tongue 33 isdisposed against one shuttle box as illustrated in Figure 5, all theshuttles will be in proper position to drop into the shuttle boxopenings. It will further be noted in Figure 5 that the width of theframe sections 34 which separate and define the openings 11, are thesame as the eifective crosssectional width of the shuttle box structures26.

The device is employed as follows:

Assuming that the bobbins in the shuttles are near exhaustion, themachine is stopped and the shuttles are removed as is customary.Meanwhile, the device will have been filled with shuttles provided withfresh bobbins, the instant device accommodating 72 shuttles. The deviceis then placed lengthwise adjacent the shuttle boxes, the central arm 15resting against such shuttle boxes while the tongue 33 is disposedagainst one shuttle box,

By. means of the angular disposition of the openings, he shutt es .5are. n angula a isament ith he shuttle box openings. It is now onlynecessary to manually actuate the lever 28 in the direction of arrow 29wh r by a h n n s become si l n o s y unobr structed and 36 of theshuttles 25 fall; into place. The

user then reverses the device so as, to; present the other row, i, e.,row 13 to the machine, following in succession e sh t o es. cc mm a d yth firs ro He then actuates the other lever 28 in he same direction and36 more shuttles fall into place. Such feeding action is illustrated inFigure 6. The device is then r moved r m he. machin w c sen r s o. p rti m It has been found that the device as above described is foolproofand has effected; substantial economies in that less labor is requiredand the machines are incapacitated for a muchshorter time.

What is claimed is:

l. A shuttle feeding device for embroidering machines comprisi g 211frame having a] top section of substantially rectangular form, said topsection being formed with a series of aligned openings therethrough,said openings, being inclined from the upper face to the lower face ofsaid top section, an elongated shuttle retaining strip disposed adjacentto and under said openings, and nor-. mally closing at least a portionof said openings from. the bottom, and actuating means for shifting saidstrip to n p n n uno tru t n p si o h eby hu les disposed in said opentional downward; displacement from said openings and at an angle to saidtop section, said device including a spring on said frame and connectedto one end' of said strip for normally urging it to the openingobstructing position, said actuating means comprising a lever on saidframe and connected to the other end of said strip for actuating itlengthwise against the action of said pring.

2 A shuttle feeding device for embroidering machines having shuttleboxes, said device comprising an elongated frame' having a top sectionof substantially rectangular form, said top section being formed with atleast one series. of aligned openings therethrough from the upper faceto the lower face thereof, a shuttle retaining strip slidably mounted inthe frame and underlying said series of openings, said Stl'lP. comprsing cross. bars normally obstructing the lower ends of said openings soas to prevent downward displacement of shuttles disposed in saidopenings, a spring on said frame for maintaining said str'ip, in 'itsnormally obstructingiposition, a manually actuable' lever connected tosaid strip fon shifting it to an unobstructing position against theaction of said spring, and a guide rnembe f protruding downwardly at oneend of said frame and adapted to guide the positioning of said openingsover the shuttle: boxes of the embroidering. machine.

ngs may be released for gravita- 3. A shuttle feeding device forembroidering machines compris ng. a tram ha ng a t p section ofsubstantial y rectangula'r'form, said top section being elongated andformed with a first series of; aligned, substantially square openingstherethrough, the side walls of said openings being uniformly inclinedfrom the upper face to the lower face of said top section, a shuttleretaining strip slidably disposed in said frame and underlying saidfirst series of openings, said strip comprising cross. barsnormallyobstructing the lower ends of said openings, manual actuatingmeans for shifting said strip to an opening unobstructing positionwhereby shuttles disposed in said openings may be released forgravitational downward displacement from said; openings and at an angleto said top section, a second series of openings disposed parallel tosaid first-named-series of openings, the openings of said second seriesbeing inclined oppositely from the first series inclination, said secondseries of openings being provided with a ret-aining strip, manuallyactuating means substantially duplicating thosev of said first series,said frame being T-shaped with both of said series of openings, beingformed. completely through the transverse arm of the T, and a guidetongue protruding downwardly from the underside of the respective endsof the frame, each of said guide tongues being in alignmentwith oneretaining strip.

4. A device according to claim 3 and wherein the inclination of saidopenings isv 15 from vertical and said. guide tongue being also inclined15 from vertical and; in the, same direction.

5.A device. according to claim 3 and including a spring for each, strip,said. spring having one end connected, to the frame and the other endconnected to one stripfor normally urging the strip to its obstructingposition, said manual actuating means comprising two levers.respectively connected to the other ends of the strips for actuating thestrips lengthwise against the action of the; spring 6.A device accordingto claim 5 and wherein the underside of said; transverse arm of theframe is formed with two C-shapcd slots in which the respective stripsare slidably disposed, said guide tongues extending throughthe'openings. of the C-shaped slots.

7. A, device; according. to claim 6 and wherein said cross. bars of thestrips' form openings between them having. substantially the same,dimensions as the transverse. dimensions of the frame series ofopenings.

References, Cited, in the file of this patent

